In an office-type environment, workers today are more frequently being provided with workspaces which are more open, with the workspace typically being defined by freestanding furniture, rather than being closely enclosed by panels and the like. The openness of modern workstations, and the ever increasing need to handle and organize large numbers of papers or documents, makes not only document management difficult, but also interfere with efficient utilization of available working surface area as defined on tables, desks and the like. In fact, the actual working surface area defined on the tops of tables and desks is often cluttered by various stacks of documents, and thus the actual working area often becomes reduced to an undesirably small amount.
The present invention relates to a spacial work-in-progress organizer which attempts to address the above problem, and which permits a worker to support a plurality of documents or papers in a spacial arrangement which more efficiently utilizes both horizontal and vertical space, particularly such space as disposed adjacent a primary worksurface or table, without requiring direct use of the upper working surface of the table or desk. The spacial organizer of the present invention enables a plurality of documents or papers, or related things and objects, to be supported in horizontally and vertically spaced relation both adjacent and along an edge of a main worksurface, such as the top of a table or desk, with the spacial organizer supporting the documents, papers or things so that they are both visible and readily accessible to the user of the table, but at the same time the objects or things are maintained in spaced relation from the upper working surface of the table so as to not interfere with the efficient or proper usage thereof by the user. At the same time, the user can be carrying out work on or in conjunction with the upper working surface of the table, but still have visual and physical access to numerous documents and things which are mounted on the spacial organizer, which documents themselves can be organized in a desired sequence or positional arrangement, to assist the user with respect to his work-in-progress.
In the spacial organizer of the present invention, there is provided a horizontally elongate support rail which is supported in upwardly spaced relation from the floor, with the support rail preferably being positioned adjacent but spaced somewhat horizontally away from and upwardly relative to an adjacent edge of a table top or the like. The support rail permits a plurality of different types of document or object supporting devices to be removably but adjustably positioned thereon, both vertically and horizontally, so as to be movable both toward and away from, and up and down, relative to the table top, and also longitudinally along the rail. The supporting devices include a generally L-shaped holder which is positionable in a generally upright position to permit papers or like documents to be supported thereon. The supporting devices also include a clip which includes opposed spring-closed jaws which permit gripping of a paper or other thing therebetween. The supporting devices further include a tray or dish which permits objects, things or documents to be supported thereon. The supporting devices also include a markerboard which is adapted for mounting on one of the holders, which markerboard permits use with conventional erasable marking pens. The supporting devices also include a paper hanging rail for permitting larger papers or documents to be suspended therefrom. The support rail also permits other objects, such as a light or the like, to be mounted thereon.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with the environment of the present invention upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.